Comments

Okay. But what happens when this doesn't happen??? "But it is far more important that Arabs themselves adopt a forward-looking perspective in reckoning with the challenges that they face, and that they take charge of their own destiny." Autocracy dies hard in MENA and technology will only make it more difficult for leaders in the region to continue to avoid reckoning with their citizens. How to convince them that power-sharing is essential to conflict resolution is the key point, not putting security before effective reforms. Read more

Nabil Fahmy says the Middle East is at a crossroads, and the tortuous path it takes in this difficult chapter of history could decide its future. He urges the international community to play "a central role..... in supporting social and economic reform in the region, and in assisting governments to find both the will and the way to undertake the necessary changes." Indeed, the Middle East is in Europe's backyard. Subsequently we should be more committed to securing peace in the region. The problem is that most of the countries in the Middle East are nanny states or autocracies. Ordinary citizens are so used to state paternalism, that the docile ones don't mind an overprotective government that interferes unduly with their personal choices. Others, who refuse to be patronised, complain about oppression. These grievances fueled the 2011 Arab Spring - a protest movement, which was at its core an expression of deep-seated resentment at the aging, corrupt dictatorships, anger at the brutality of security apparatus, high unemployment, rising prices and falling incomes. State authorities had failed to adress woes like population surge, rapid urbanization, youth bulge and "a spike in unemployed, university-educated young adults" who demanded for change or reforms. What the author has failed to mention is that the region later became embroiled in a sectarian strife. There was a sense of nationalism that brought together different groups united by the demand that a hated regime be toppled. Once a dictator was ousted people began to identify themselves with their tribes and sects. Islamist groups - notably the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt - spoke the language of democracy and national unity. But the Islamist party later became reactionary and lost its support among the young, open-minded urbanites. Egypt's first democratically elected government under Mohamed Morsi was later overthrown by the military. Elsewhere Islamists - especially in Iraq and Syria - realised they had a unique opportunity to establish themselves. ISIS set up its own caliphate in June 2014.Despite the turmoil in the Middle East, the author says "it is far more important that Arabs themselves adopt a forward-looking perspective in reckoning with the challenges that they face, and that they take charge of their own destiny." In order to "help the region meet the myriad challenges it faces," he proposes the international community to pursue "a three-pronged approach." To start with it is crucial to assist the countries to strengthen their "governing institutions" and put them "on a path toward self-sufficiency." Yet the region makes up of countries that are either oil-rich or impoverished. Perhaps it is not a bad idea to starve oil-rich autocrats of arms and military hardware. But other countries won't survive without foreign aid, and it will take years for them to build a sustainable economic sector as a means of livelihood. But the current turmoil has also taken a toll on the existing industries, on which many rely to make ends meet. Second, the author says the world should be "committing unconditionally to preserve and respect the region’s nation-state system." He seems to suggest that the outside world shouldn't call for more democracy and an end to oppression. But should the West - like it did in the past - continue to support dictatorships, while turning a blind eye to human rights abuses? Third, the outside world can only launch "a concerted effort to end the violence in the region and create the conditions for new political processes to get off the ground" if regional players share the same interests and concerns. Iran and Saudi Arabia need to bury their centuries-long Sunni-Shia schism, and ambition for regional hegemony. The war in Syria is multi-layered and fought between the Assad regime and its opposition groups, which are proxies of the Sunni Arabs and Iran, and on global scale backed by the US and Russia. The US has sought a diplomatic solution, while Russia stands by the Assad regime, adding fuel to the fire. Bashar al-Assad seems determined to fight to the bitter end and retake the whole country. As long as bloodshed doesn't end, the region remains divided. Hatred and "hopelessness sow the seeds for terrorism and extremism," which are "destructive forces" that need to be eliminated. Unfortunately "consensus building, compromise, and cooperation within and among Middle Eastern and Arab societies" are seen as wishful thinking at best and weaknesses at worst. Read more

You know what that's a great idea. Reforming the Middle East. And as a helping hand may I suggest start with your own neck of the woods by supporting Democracy and throwing the Military out. And BTW, emphasis on secular education might help! Read more

PS On Air: The Super Germ Threat

NOV 2, 2016

In the latest edition of PS On
Air
, Jim O’Neill discusses how to beat antimicrobial resistance, which
threatens millions of lives, with Gavekal Dragonomics’ Anatole Kaletsky
and Leonardo Maisano of
Il Sole 24 Ore.

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